Dee
by IridescentGaze
Summary: The sanity of our favourite detectives is at stake when a new drug syndicate emerges  one that is so obscure, even the police aren't sure it exists...
1. Chapter 1

-AN- This story is set not long after volume 7 of the manga. More details of the precise setting will be revealed in later chapters. Enjoy!

-Disclaimer- I do not own FAKE, or any of it's characters – they belong to Sanami Matoh. I would not object to them being donated to me though. I also do not have a beta – these chaps are all me. You see a mistake, you NOTIFY me! Please!

---

"Another parcel bomb has been reported, Sir." JJ nearly stumbled as he handed a file over to the commissioner. He awkwardly rubbed a hand over his eyes as Berkeley Rose inspected the document. There was silence for a moment.

"Give this to Detectives MacLean and Laytner. Ugh…" Berkeley rubbed two fingers over the bridge of his nose in an attempt to relieve his building headache. "If we don't solve this one soon the woman at the pharmacy is going to start thinking I have a crush on her with all my visits…"

JJ looked over at the commissioner in sympathy.

"Well, Ted is coming back tomorrow. One more person on the team is always good." He smiled tightly. "I actually can't wait to give him some of the workload!"

Berkeley sighed, certain that he would feel sorry for the young detective, were he not so exhausted himself. "I've got bad news for you then, Adams. I have to remove one detective from your team for a special assignment, so he'll be the one handing over his share of the work."

JJ's face fell.

"I'm reluctant to do it though. I feel that the current case is much more important, and his skills are required there. However, this other matter might explode in our faces later if it doesn't receive any attention now, and he's perfect for it." Berkeley walked over to his desk to sit down on the edge. "Send MacLean around please? I'm not in a hurry." He leaned back over his desk to reach for his glass of water as JJ slouched out of his office with a dejected 'yes, Sir'.

With his office door now closed, he popped the last two painkillers out of their casing, threw his head back and swallowed. Maybe dating a pharmacist wasn't such a bad idea after all.

---

JJ crept into the office with a renewed smile on his face. Carefully stepping over the piles of paperwork strewn everywhere, he held out the tray filled with coffee cups to the nearest person. Dee looked up surprised, but his face settled into a grateful expression as he almost grabbed the cup from the tray.

"Hot damn, JJ! I swear you were sent by angels!" JJ's smile grew brighter at his comment. Dee glanced over at Ryo. "Now if only I could…"

Ryo interrupted him. "No, Dee. We have an agreement."

JJ glared at Ryo as he held the tray out towards Drake, who smiled tiredly up at him. "What agreement?"

"I'm not allowed to smoke between breaks. He," Dee gestured in Ryo's direction, "believes that I'm trying to skip work."

"He's onto you, eh?"

Ryo snorted a laugh as Dee glared at Drake. "I do not 'skip' work. I carefully plan my day around it so that we encounter each other the least possible amount of time."

A bout of snickering followed his comment before Ryo timidly glanced around. Feeling offended, but not sure how to voice his concern, he kept quiet and continued sorting through the papers in front of him.

Dee was the first to notice. "Hey JJ? Where's Ryo's coffee?"

Ryo's cheeks flushed red.

Snapping his fingers as though he just remembered something, JJ scrambled up from where he was sitting and grabbed a file from the desk nearby. Somewhere in the investigation the detectives had migrated to the floor that offered them more space, and they were all currently situated around the room in Ryo and Dee's office.

"I forgot! I'm so sorry Sempai!" He clambered over to where Dee was sitting and dropped the papers in front of him. "I'm so tired, it slipped my mind – these are the papers for the newest report. It happened close-by according to the address. Jim is currently running tests on what the team they sent in gathered." JJ sat down and sighed. "They're not even sending us out anymore. I feel so unloved." He looked up with hopeful eyes at Dee.

"That's great and all JJ, but what about the coffee?"

Ryo snatched the file away from them. "Leave it Dee. I'm not bothered by it." He flipped the file open and started to browse through it when JJ grabbed it back.

"Nuh-uh! You're off this case. Rose wants to see you in his office, and before you get mad at me for forgetting, he said he wasn't in a hurry. So there." He pointedly stuck his nose in the air.

Ryo closed his mouth. He was indeed about to scold JJ for it.

Then the message sunk in.

"Off this case? What? Why?" Even Dee was looking skeptically at JJ, Drake and Marty just flat out glaring at Ryo.

"If you get to go home and rest I'll never, ever forgive you." Marty picked up a bit of eraser and chucked it at Ryo's head.

Drake continued glaring at Ryo. "Same goes for me. This better be a difficult assignment, or I'm putting tacks on Rose's chair tomorrow."

"I might end up doing that anyway," Dee fumed. "I hope it's not one of his tricks to try getting into your pants, 'cause heaven help him I'm the only one al-"

"DEE! Do you mind?" Ryo whacked him upside the head as a blush spread across his face. He had caught on to what his lover was planning to say, and it wasn't pleasing him in the least. "You make it sound as though I'm not here for my detective skills at all. I could swear I'm only here to uphold the image of this place!" He paced angrily out of the room.

"Wait! Ryo, that's not…!" Dee sighed a heavy sigh.

"I'll never treat you like that, you know? You're too gorgeous to be neglected like that!" JJ made to embrace Dee, but Marty grabbed his shirt collar.

"JJ," there was a warning in his voice. "You know, Dee, you're only setting yourself up for heartbreak. You've been chasing after him so long it's gonna break you if he does say no in the end."

Dee mulled the words over in his head. That wasn't the point, was it? Ryo hadn't said no. He just didn't want anyone to know just yet. They were waiting for Ryo's aunt and uncle to return to an area where they could be reached by phone to tell them first.

Well, technically not 'first', since both Mother and Bikky knew.

And Carol.

Bikky never kept family matters to himself for long.

There was another reason why their co-workers weren't being let in on the secret. Ryo had commented off-handedly that they should let the boys figure this out by themselves. When Dee had reacted with a pout, Ryo had laughed at him and told him that were the two of them ever to be married, the position of best-man would belong to who-ever figured them out first.

They're detectives, he had said. Let them work for it.

Now, as much as Dee liked this idea (and the fact that that little comment nearly made him burst with joy), it was annoying practicing restraint. He WANTED to tell everyone, wanted to see their shocked faces as he told them that Ryo even spoke of MARRIAGE.

At least Ryo wasn't ashamed of them being together. Intimacy in public made him blush ten different degrees, but he wasn't jerking away anymore like he used to.

'Casually disentangle' would be a more appropriate description.

Dee grinned at that thought. "Naw. I think I'll try my luck with him." There was nothing wrong with dropping hints, now, was there? "It hasn't let me down thus far." He stood, stretched his legs painfully, gulped the last of his coffee down and crumpled the Styrofoam cup in his hand. With practiced ease he shot the deformed cup into the wastebasket.

"I'm gonna go find Ryo. Keep JJ out of my stuff?" with that he strode out he door, but even his confident step looked fatigued. A grumpy JJ stared after him.

"It's always about Ryo, isn't it?" His hair was ruffled from behind as a hand came into view.

"It's always about Dee, isn't it?" Drake threw his words back at him. JJ mock glared at Drake who smiled his knowing smile. Marty merely shook his head, thought of his wife waiting for him at home and picked up his file again.

---

Outside the commissioner's office Dee stood still, trying to catch a hint of the conversation going on within. Hushed voices drifted to his ears through the closed door, but he could not make out what was being said. Berkeley's voice became more easily recognizable as it grew in volume over time. Then the door was thrust open, hitting him squarely on the nose. Ryo stepped out, disappearing from view as he stalked off in the opposite direction.

---

"Sir?" The knock came discreetly. "JJ told me you wanted to see me?"

Rose pulled his glasses of his face and rubbed his neck. "He really took it to heart when I told him I wasn't in a hurry. I asked him to send you around more than half an hour ago. Sit down." He gestured towards one of the vacant chairs in front of his desk.

Ryo tentatively stepped into the office, closing the door behind him. "What did JJ mean when he said that I'm off the case, Sir?" He settled into the plush chair.

Berkeley closed the file he was reading and slapped it down onto a growing pile to his left. "Exactly that. When Ted arrives tomorrow, I need you to hand over your share of the work to him. Fill him in on your theories, and pray that he does as good a job as you do." He pulled a face. "I shudder when I think of going through that group's paperwork. Drake's the only one with nearly decent handwriting now."

He took a moment to observe the detective sitting in front of his desk.

"Why don't you look half as tired as I feel? As far as I know, you and Laytner have been working on this case the longest – which means you've done most of the work this far…" Rose straightened up in his chair. "How do you do it? I KNOW you haven't been sleeping more than the others have. In fact, I can almost wager that you've had the least amount of shuteye these past few days."

Ryo fidgeted under Rose's scrutiny and blushed slightly. "I have a… A routine that works for me…"

Yes, it has become a routine, hasn't it? A scented bath followed by a relaxing massage, served with two glasses of red wine and a side dish a la Dee.

"Oh?" Berkeley raised an eyebrow. "Do tell."

Ryo dropped his head. "It's nothing big, Sir. Just some herbs my mother taught me to mix and add to a bath. I'm afraid the plants I've been cultivating for this purpose are suffering from slight shock though. They've never seen such regular abuse. But back to the matter at hand, Sir, what is so important that it couldn't wait for the other case?"

The blond man sighed. "A new drug ring. They're fairly new, but they're taking over by force. It's bad enough that even the big gangs are being cautious." He wiggled a file out from under a stack. Ryo glanced at it suspiciously.

"A new gang? Surely we would have heard news of it?"

"No, I'm afraid not." Ryo took the thin file the commissioner handed him. "That is all we know of them. They are discreet, MacLean, frightfully so. I have to warn you, this matter is as confidential as it gets. You cannot confide in anyone other than me, do you understand?" Ryo nodded as he scanned the file. "Even that will be limited."

He took a deep breath.

Now came the hard part.

"I need you undercover on this assignment. This is a very complicated matter – one I am not quite sure how to handle. One of our informants from the Backpitch gang made his last call in earlier this week. He was running scared – the information he shared was quite shocking. You'll find the details in the file, second page.

"What we require of you is to be on the streets, to locate them or even just listen to rumors. In the miniscule chance that you are invited in, we need inside information. Something horribly illegal is going on, and we have people disappearing into thin air. That is the most frustrating part. Whoever is doing this isn't leaving any bodies or evidence behind."

"So why are you so sure that it is a gang involved?" Ryo interrupted him.

"The drug routes. Fray – our informant – told us of quite a few. We have video footage of activity, but no evidence to shut the operation down. It seems we won't have to anymore now. If you look at the fourth page, you'll see a picture of a number of people. That was the last footage we picked up before the route died. And we suspect Fray dead." Berkeley sat back in his chair. "Are you starting to see the dilemma?"

Ryo shook his head. "Not really, Sir. This seems more like a hunch to me than an actual case."

Rose closed his eyes and sighed. "I'm not being very clear, am I? I think the fatigue is getting to me." He sat up straight again.

"This case IS a hunch. But there is undoubtedly something going on, and it is dangerous. Dangerous enough to make Alicia Grant personally phone me. I believe the two of you have history together?"

This caught Ryo's attention. "She did?" he looked over the file again, skimming more thoroughly. "But why the secrecy? And why me?"

"Something this big can only be shushed out with some interference. They have to have someone within the force helping them out – and out of the bunch here, you are the least susceptible to any such an approach. There is also the case of your intelligence. You are by far the best educated detective in this station, and we need that diversity on this case."

Berkeley slouched a little. "Know that I do not want you on this case Ryo. You are just the best suited for it. It is much too dangerous for my liking," he looked Ryo in the eyes, "because you might be required to kill."

Ryo's eyes grew wide. "Sir?"

"You will move out of your apartment as soon as possible. Find a reasonable excuse for extended leave, but tell no one of this case. I am aware that the other detectives know you are switching cases, but you cannot risk the details. You may tell them that you will be working undercover, but not where. I have a new identity and lodgings ready for you, including a day job downtown. More details are in the file." Berkeley stood up and walked around the desk.

Ryo made to leave. "Dee isn't going to like this…"

"'Dee' isn't going to hear of this. You cannot have any contact with ANYONE other than me while on this case."

Ryo frowned. "But…"

"Is there a problem?"

Ryo shrunk back. He couldn't very well tell his superior he was having a relationship with his partner, now could he? They could both be suspended! His almost black eyes swam with worry as he considered the new information. They hadn't thought about that, did they?

"Detective?"

How were they going to handle THIS hurdle?

"MacLean?"

What was he going to say to Dee?

"Ryo?"

Ryo started out of his thoughts, finding the commissioner's face inches away from his own. "Err, no Sir, there's no problem." He inched back.

The commissioner stepped closer.

"Are you sure?" Rose angled his face closer to Ryo. "You looked lost there for a second." His hand reached up to brush a stray strand of hair out of Ryo's face.

Ryo tried to move back again, but a hand behind his head stopped him.

Ryo's temper flared. Didn't he just march out of a room implying that THIS wasn't going to happen? Dee would never let him live it down!

So he roughly pushed Rose away as his lips started their descend, yanked the door open and practically ran out of the office.

This was going to be a long day.

---

Dee grabbed hold of the door as Ryo removed himself from view. Glancing into the office, he snorted a laugh before clutching his hand to his nose again as the pain ebbed a little stronger.

Berkeley Rose was sitting on the floor in a puddle of water, the discarded glass lying harmlessly on it's side from where it fell from the desk when Berkeley had clawed the air to gain a handhold. He was blinking stupidly as he processed the data of what had just happened.

He did NOT expect Ryo to react as he had. Perhaps his favorite detective was more worn out than he let on. He looked up sharply as he heard a snicker from the open doorway.

Dee laughed out loud when he saw that he had the commissioner's full attention. Carefully feeling his nose over, he hitched his hip against the framework of the door.

"Whatever you did, I'm sure you deserved much worse than that." He paused for a second, then, almost as an afterthought, added "Sir."

The blond man seethed on the inside as he stared up at the leering detective. Placing a hand on his desk, he hefted himself up. "I'm glad to see that you have so much free time on your hands that you can afford to go out of your way to insult me. I'm honored." He walked back around his desk to pick up his glasses and perched them on his nose once again. "Next time, do not make it so obvious that you are attempting to eavesdrop on confidential information."

Dee pushed away from the door to lean on Rose's desk instead. "So it's true then? Ryo really is off the case."

Glaring over the top of his glasses, Berkeley stilled himself. "I would appreciate it if you could close the door behind you. Preferably with yourself on the OTHER side?" Sinking down into his chair, he picked up a new file.

Dee triumphantly strode over to the door. "As you wish." The door was nearly closed before it was opened again, and a belated "Sir" floated in.

---

-AN- I'm trying my hand at writing since I love reading so much. I might not update regularly, but I will finish this story. I hate it when a story is left dangling. I probably shouldn't complain eh? I hardly ever review. So I don't blame anyone if they don't review this – but it would be appreciated!

Me


	2. Chapter 2

-AN- This story is set not long after volume 7 of the manga. More details of the precise setting will be revealed in later chapters. Enjoy!

-Disclaimer- I do not own FAKE, or any of it's characters – they belong to Sanami Matoh. I would not object to them being donated to me though. I also do not have a beta – these chaps are all me. You see a mistake, you NOTIFY me! Please!

---

Ryo stared down at the paper in his hands. The more he read, the fishier the entire business seemed. Oh, it was obvious that something was going on – coincidences like these didn't heap up as they were apparently doing.

The problem was just _what?_

He flipped the file close as the door opened, and Bikky slouched in. He unceremoniously dumped his bag on the table before heading towards the kitchen, but did a double take when he saw Ryo on the couch.

"Hey Ryo! I thought you were working double shifts today?" He sauntered over. "Whatcha doin' home?"

Ryo lifted the file above his head and slapped it with an off-hand gesture. "New case. And we have to talk about it, but I'll wait until Dee gets here first."

Bikky dropped down next to Ryo. "Don't tell me it's another 'stay off the streets, the bogeyman's out again' kind of talk. 'Cause you really don't need the perv to motivate me for that."

"No, nothing like that." Ryo ruffled Bikky's hair. "If anyone should be on the receiving end of a warning, it's Dee. He's fits the victim profile for this case much better than you Biks."

Bikky frowned as he absorbed the new information, absentmindedly digging his hands into the couch.

"I'm going to buy a few things for dinner. Want to tag along?" The young boy looked up into pools of black as Ryo smiled down on him.

"Huh? Sure."

---

Dee trudged up the stairs to Ryo's apartment, cursing JJ, Rose, the chief and whoever the perpetrator behind the parcel bombs was under his breath. When he thought of Ryo stalking out of the precinct, he cursed him as well.

When realization dawned on him on what he just did, he paused and shot a little prayer up to whichever deity fancied him at the moment.

A snort and a chuckle sounded behind him and he whirled around.

"Gimme your cell, Ryo. I have to call the nuthouse about a missing patient."

Behind him on the stairs stood Bikky and Ryo, their hands full of packages. Dee's detective mode scanned the packages and aptly formed a conclusion.

"Give it up, brat. Not even the mental ward would want you. Now, what's the occasion? I see lasagne in the making." He swiftly scooped the bags out of Ryo's hands as he protested. Bikky huffed indignantly, aiming a kick at Dee's shin.

"Oi! Do you want to spend your evening picking food up from a staircase? You got some weird fantasies dude." Dee skillfully hopped up a few stairs to miss the next attack at his legs. Ryo just smiled and huffed, dug his keys out of his pocket and headed towards the apartment door, his makeshift family arguing on his trail.

---

That night tensions ran high in the MacLean residence. Bickering between Bikky and Dee expectantly interrupted dinner, but the cause was more substantial than usual. What Ryo desired to be a good last evening before setting out on assignment, turned into him slamming the bedroom door on the noise in the dining room.

As he sank into the bed with his hands in his hair, his composure deserted him and he let out a strangled sob.

This was NOT how he expected it to be.

---

Dee stumbled into the office with a pounding headache. His first night of uninterrupted sleep was spent mauling the previous evening over and over in his head.

When Bikky and he registered Ryo's absence, they had glared at each other until Bikky threw the salt shaker at his face and went to his room. Big was his surprise however, to find it locked.

Now, neither Bikky nor him are strangers to the ways of the street. They have both picked many a lock, but the policeman inside the lock let them both know that it was more than deliberate.

The same with the master bedroom.

Guilt set in then, and the duo found themselves reconsidering their argument on the couch.

When they both woke up in their respective beds (how Ryo managed to that without either of them waking up was beyond Dee) and an hour late, they knew they were in DEEP trouble.

Of course, Ryo was nowhere to be found. A note had been taped to the front door – a note Dee now had crumpled in his hand.

Bikky, Dee 

_Since you were both SO mature about the issue last night, I suppose I should let you settle it between yourselves. If I don't see you, this is goodbye._

_Be safe, I love you._

_Ryo_

Dee sighed. Ryo could be such a catty bitch.

But oh, how they deserved it.

---

"So, in layman's terms, we still don't know shit." Ted was staring down at the latest crime scene pictures. The remains of what was supposed to be a two-year-old girl and her twenty-seven-year-old mother stared right back at him. Again, the evidence was destroyed in the blast.

Ryo sorted through the pile in his arms to hand Ted the next crumple of paper. "I was following up some of the chemicals we found at the scene. If you look here," he pointed to another page with a coffee stain on it, "you'll see that these two mixtures aren't very popular in your everyday pharmacy. These," he dropped the rest of the paperwork in his arms on the table, "are the results for that research. I was going to organize it today, but it seems like you get the honour of doing that."

Drake pulled the coffee stain out from the avalanche of paper. "Are you sure this is part of YOUR paperwork?"

Ryo stared at the paper with a blush that faded into a frown before digging around in his briefcase. "Dee… he, uh…" he produced a new sheet that was obviously a duplicate of the ruined one. "Here."

Ted mentally shook his head. Trust Ryo to re-do paperwork because of a stain. It may be protocol, but it was also double work.

Something everyone but Ryo and Drake were allergic to.

Drake just hid it better…

Ted frowned at his thoughts as he replaced the report. His attention went back to Ryo as the dark-eyed man spoke again.

"I'm going to find Dee. I need to apologize for something. Think you can handle things here?"

"Sure I can!" Ted dragged his hand through his hair. "But man, I can't imagine you doing anything that would warrant an apology to Dee. What went down?"

Ryo lowered his eyes to study the floor. "I asked him to look after Bikky while I'm gone. It wasn't the best idea I've had in a while." Sad eyes glanced back at the work he was leaving behind. "So long Ted. Good luck!"

And with that, he was gone.

---

Ryo never received the chance to locate Dee. He was roughly pulled into the commissioner's office to go over the details of the case as he was passing by.

He never saw the pained expression on his lover's face when Dee found their office empty, or the guilt that flashed through his eyes as Ted told him of the pending apology.

By the time they were done, he was scheduled to leave.

He left Rose with a salutation and a punch to the gut.

---

-AN- I had to rewrite this chapter three times before I was happy enough to post it. I know it is not very long, but I felt that I had to end it here. To think I'm writing this because of a picture. HA! Anyway, Kita, Subu-chan, I love you two! Thank you for always being so supportive. And I love your stories! Expect a DrakexJJ element in this story…

Me


	3. Chapter 3

-AN- This story is set not long after volume 7 of the manga. More details of the precise setting will be revealed in later chapters. Enjoy!

- Disclaimer - I do not own FAKE, or any of it's characters – they belong to Sanami Matoh. I would not object to them being donated to me though. I also do not have a beta – these chaps are all me. You see a mistake, you NOTIFY me! Please!

---

"Please tell me this is a joke."

A man with newly blond-dyed hair stood outside a relatively busy corner market, a small card in his hand. He was wearing faded jeans and a black tee, stolen from the love of his life's closet.

In fact, half of the clothes he grabbed came from his lover's stash. They wouldn't be missed for a while… at least not until laundry day. Everything was currently stored in the small apartment he was to stay in.

Small, cramped, and filthy. He swore to clean up when he received the chance.

But currently, he was facing another dilemma. An underpaid, unqualified dilemma.

He stared dumbfounded for three more minutes before he approached the 'manager' label a man sprouted from his chest. The man seemed to glare at him from under a bushel of hair that must have eaten a few combs in its life.

"What?"

He grimaced at the foul fog of breath that drifted his way before he held the card out to the man.

"My name is Alex Raven. I applied for work here last week. They told me to come in today."

The man seemed to look him once over, then released a guffaw of laughter that showed off his yellowing teeth. He roughly swatted the blond on the back, his eyes widening slightly when the frail-looking man didn't flinch.

"Ya dun't look like da type ta be wurkin here. Yu're looks'll draw dem ladies, but ai know trouble when ai see it. Naw, yu wanna go ask Lenny at Da Talisman upin fourth for wurk. Tell'im Tylar sent yu. His boy pegged dis weekend, an he's ben stuck fora while now." The burly man just smiled as the incredulous look on the younger man's face melted away. They exchanged a quick thanks, and then he was on his way.

Inwardly Ryo was glad the hippopotamus of a man had shown him away. He was sure that he was going to seriously maim Rose for the line of work he organized for him.

'Cashier at a corner market? I'm supposed to be looking for a drug syndicate and he wants me to strike up conversation with the last decent people in the area? What the hell is he thinking?'

_It was almost painfully obvious that their esteemed commissioner was trying to wriggle his detective out of the obscurity of the case. The department wanted an officer out on the field, so he gave them one. The fact that said detective was located in the safest part of the danger zone and that his current circumstances almost guaranteed that he would have no success on this case whatsoever, didn't bother him._

But it bothered Ryo.

He was an accomplished detective, and being continually treated like spun sugar, wasn't his thing.

---

"FUCK OFF JJ! What in god's name did I do to fucking deserve this shit?"

Drake shook his head as the voice echoed down the corridor. No one even looked up anymore, but there was a new edge to Dee's voice that told of trouble.

He randomly grabbed a file in front of him and stretched his legs. Time to rescue JJ.

---

Ryo desperately tried to take his surroundings in without gawking. He was standing in quite a rundown bar with menial bullets embedded into what was once high quality wood. The glass panels behind the bar were chipped in various places, but not broken.

Bulletproof.

The Talisman was indeed odd, and he could see how barmen could become scarce. It was also the perfect place for him base his intelligence. He might not know much about drinks, but he had never been so eager to learn.

"What did you say your name was?"

Ryo turned towards a tall muscled man with a tattoo of a hawk covering one eye. "Alex."

"Uh huh. Look Alex, I don't have the time to train anyone, but I'm pretty screwed here. I really need a new barman, and even though I'd prefer an experienced person, you're just going to have to train on the job. Mary is here somewhere, ask her to write up the popular drinks and whatnot. I'm gonna be in the back, I have business to attend to." He turned to leave, but caught himself. "Oh, there ain't no such thing as free drinks this side of the cosmos. You don't fucking offer those to anyone. If you dig a chick, you buy her one, and you make sure she understands where the money came from. Got that?"

Ryo nodded with a raised eyebrow.

Mary turned out to be a skinny brat barely over the age of fourteen with way too much makeup plastered on her face. She had a sweet but sarcastic disposition, and scribbled the information required on a napkin in horrible writing.

"Here," she handed him the square. She studied the face of the man before her intently for a few seconds, and then dropped the bomb that made Ryo realize just how far out of his comfort zone he was.

"Are you gay?"

---

Soft sobs disappeared into the record room where a small man with silver-purple hair clutched a file in front of his chest. He was crouched on the same spot on the floor where he realized that the file his partner sent him down to retrieve was the same file he asked him to put away. In his rush to leave the room he hadn't seen the label, and he correctly concluded the purpose of the exercise.

After Dee had verbally climbed into him more than usual, he had desperately needed an excuse to leave the presence of the man that was both the bane and the reason of his existence. Drake had provided that excuse in a form that kept his reputation in tact, but it was becoming glaringly obvious that his partner was smarter than he appeared to be.

If only…

---

That was the problem with undercover work. At some point in time you were bound to start over-analyzing yourself.

That's when you shot yourself in the foot.

Ryo sighed as he closed the laptop. His brain was pounding with information, and all he wanted to do was sleep. He lazily scanned the state the room was in and moaned as he pulled himself up.

He said he was going to clean this dump. And this looked like an ample chance. He discarded his jacket on a chair and pulled out a towel from a shabby drawer.

This afternoon had taught him a valuable lesson, one he was bound not to forget soon. Thankfully his mind had caught up with him and he had avoided a situation that could have potentially been dangerous. He managed to brush off his discomfort with a high-spirited, "that's the most direct way anyone's EVER asked me!" They had laughed together, and he was sure she was about to raise the issue again when they were interrupted.

Almost an hour of his afternoon had been dedicated to his mild crisis. The case may have called for someone with his intelligence, but it was Dee's attitude they needed.

He was ready now.

---

Dee felt crummy. Nothing helped. Not yelling at JJ, not smoking three cigarettes consecutively, not even the picture of Rose he had taped to his target while at the shooting range.

Nothing.

He had an idea that it might have something to do with the picture of Ryo he kept in his top drawer. A picture he had stared at more that often today as the reality of Ryo's absence made itself known to the subconscious regions of his mind.

It clicked in his head that he had no idea where Ryo was. He wondered for a while if it was because he didn't pay enough attention when Ryo shared the news, or if Ryo had told them at all. He wasn't sure.

Then there was the guilt. It had been eating at him all day, to the point where he had phoned Bikky's school to talk to the brat. They had made arrangements they were both semi-comfortable with, but the guilt didn't go away.

And lastly there was the knowledge that he had missed out on a night of hot sex with the sexiest man on the planet because of a silly argument. And he wouldn't be getting any for an undetermined time.

He clutched his head in his hands as his fellow detectives stared at him in sympathy.

Life wasn't fair.

---

-AN- More action next chapter! These three chapters were meant to set the stage. (For those who haven't figured it out yet, this story is centered around Ryo. You can blame Kita and Subu for the DrakexJJ moments that slip in! They made me do it! Ahem…) Oh, another issue I wanna raise: I'm totally disregarding Like, Like, Love. According to me there are a few facts in there that point towards a longer waiting period before Ryo and Dee finally did the bunny thing. And two years sounds a lot better than eight, so I'm leaving it there.

-Me-


	4. Chapter 4

-AN- This story is set not long after volume 7 of the manga. More details of the precise setting will be revealed in later chapters. Enjoy!

- Disclaimer - I do not own FAKE, or any of it's characters – they belong to Sanami Matoh. I would not object to them being donated to me though. I also do not have a beta – these chaps are all me. You see a mistake, you NOTIFY me! Please!

---

The man that walked into The Talisman late that afternoon at half past four was a different man than the timid newcomer that had gawked at it's interior just three hours prior. His step was more confident, his gaze was level, and the sultry smile that adorned his face spoke volumes.

James, the owner, directed him to the backroom where Mary handed him a white shirt, an orange waistcoat and a black tie.

"Don't ask. People around here get so drunk; they NEED us to wear this horrible colour in order to be able to tell who they can ask for drinks. But I warn you, when someone has to squint at you before they talk to you, ask for the money up front. You keep more of your paycheck that way."

"Somehow, I don't find that hard to believe." Ryo raised an eyebrow before he pulled of his shirt. Mary appreciatively eyed his back before her eyes were drawn to a bullet wound at his side.

"You never answered my question this afternoon, you know."

Ryo smiled. He was waiting for that one.

Time to act Dee.

"I didn't? You can't blame me – I wasn't expecting it so bluntly." He turned to her as he buttoned up the orange monstrosity. "I prefer the term bi," he hauled his shoulders up. "More variety that way."

_And an easy excuse to show interest in anyone._

Mary seemed to be impressed with his answer, and flipped her brunette locks over her shoulder. "So, do you know your drinks? I've got enough time to quiz you on it."

"Yeah, I was on the internet earlier and looked up a few extras. I don't think this is the right place to mix anything up – I might end up as road kill, and to tell you the truth, I rather like my face in tact." He smiled at her and stepped back.

"So, do I look the part?"

Mary studied him for a few seconds.

"Okay, don't take this the wrong way, but you look hoity-toity. Don't you have earrings or something?"

Ryo self-consciously reached for his ears. "Earrings? How would that help?"

Mary reached for the rings she had in her own ears. "Well, you look a little too prim-and-proper for this place. It can't be the shirt, 'cause it was Quinsy's and he looked like a rat in it. All I can think of is your face and hair." She ruffled his hair and held the two rings next to each ear respectively, before holding both by his left ear.

"So what do you think? I know Andy three stores away. He won't give you a discount, but I might be able to persuade him to do a proper job."

---

Dee trudged up the stairs to Ryo's apartment with three files in his hand. Normally he wasn't the type to bring work home with him, but with Ryo gone, there wasn't much else for him to do. Bikky's playstation was at the shop because of a manufacturer's error, so conversation between him and the brat was going to be tight.

As usual.

The plan for the next undetermined amount of days was to stay at Ryo's apartment. He practically lived there anyway – most of his stuff was in there already.

He still remembered the morning where he had stumbled into the bathroom and had to blink twice before registering that the toothbrush labeled 'Dee' wasn't one that he had seen before. It brought tears to his eyes – in a way he saw it as concrete evidence of Ryo's invitation into his life.

But now, as he opened the door, he was greeted by blaring rap music. He stood in the doorway long enough for Bikky to notice him, and then, with resolute determination, slammed the door. For a while he stood there indecisively, then turned on his heel and stalked back towards the stairs.

Fuck this shit.

If he had to be tortured, he might as well go with the lesser evil. The precinct it was.

The sudden lack of sound wasn't lost on him though. He rushed his steps and slid down the banister.

"Oi! Perv!" The call resounded.

Like hell was he going to let Bikky catch up with him. He wasn't in the mood for trouble right now – the result of the stress build-up he had to suffer through since the previous evening.

He underestimated the youngster's mobility however, as a hand reached out to grab his jacket and the files he had had in his hand tumbled to the floor.

"Hey! What the fuck was that for? I know you ignored me on purpose!"

Dee stared at the papers on the floor. He could do this. He could do this.

Ryo.

He could do this for Ryo.

"Language," was the only word he said as he bent down to pick up the fallen sheets.

"Ryo's not here, dumb ass."

That did it. Quickly hustling the papers together, he clutched it in one hand and hauled Bikky over his other shoulder. Stomping up the stairs, he ignored the angry protests while mentally preparing the first lecture he was ever going to give.

---

"Hey, Alex! I need a hand here!"

Ryo almost melted with relief as he excused himself from the boisterous lady's presence. The woman had been harassing him all evening, feigning interest in the different beverages and the processes of making them. Normally, he would have tolerated it, but since he didn't have the best idea about what he was doing, he was becoming flustered.

Mary's call was a godsend.

"What do you need help with?"

She sent a sarcastic look his way. "I don't. You're the one that needs help. Tell her to fuck off!"

Ryo rolled his eyes. "I did. She must have a selective hearing impairment. I tried hinting, stating the obvious, and outright rudeness. I'm stuck."

Mary blinked. "Tell her you're gay. She looks like the homophobic type."

Ryo skeptically play-punched her. "If that works, I'll get those piercings you want me to get."

"Piercings AND a tattoo if she dumps her drink in your face."

"Like that would ever happen!"

---

JJ stared out of his bedroom window with his pillow clutched tightly in front of him. His mind was a mess, and as much as he knew he needed it, sleep wasn't coming soon.

He had thought that with Ryo gone, he might stand a chance with Dee. He really had thought that.

Now, not even one day later, he was as confused as he ever remembered being. Dee had been meaner than usual – in a way he knew that he should have expected that.

But that was not the cause of his confusion.

Oh, no, his confusion was wrapped in a box labeled 'Drake Parker'.

And it didn't come with instructions.

---

Five a.m. the next morning after a busy evening and only one screw-up, a very smug Mary accompanied a dejected Ryo past Andy's tacky store to point out earrings…

…and tattoos.

---

-AN- Okay, not as much action as I bargained for. I suppose the interesting stuff I have planned can fall into place next chapter.

-Me-


	5. Chapter 5

-AN- This story is set not long after volume 7 of the manga. More details of the precise setting will be revealed in later chapters. Enjoy!

- Disclaimer - I do not own FAKE, or any of it's characters – they belong to Sanami Matoh. I would not object to them being donated to me though. I also do not have a beta – these chaps are all me. You see a mistake, you NOTIFY me! Please!

---

JJ had wisely steered clear of Dee the last few days, but that morning, when he had seen the man wearing a smile, resolution had flown out the window and instinct had kicked in. With a resounding "DEE-SEMPAI!" he had launched his usual attack on his fellow officer.

Dee, in turn, had frozen in his tracks and was frantically looking around for something to hide behind when a body appeared in JJ's trajectory. The body crouched down, however, and as JJ aimed his jump over said person, the body straightened out, clearly knocking the breath out of the younger man.

So when JJ found himself slung over someone's shoulder and moving away from a startled looking Dee, he finally took in the man that had intercepted him and in a wheeze of breath exhaled his name.

"D-Drake?"

---

Berkeley Rose sat in his office with his hands buried deep into his hair. All around him the precinct was in chaos – even his own phone had been ringing non-stop.

So he unplugged it.

It had been three days since Ryo had left on assignment, four until he was due to report in. Dee's attitude had been haphazardly going downhill, and that morning he had spied the man asleep on the break-room couch.

Why his mood had been surprisingly chipper since he woke up still confused the frazzled commissioner.

As the door opened and the tired detectives filed in, he pushed his glasses back up his nose and folded his arms in front of him. Laytner was STILL smiling, and his annoyance peeked.

"Laytner, care to share your happy news with the rest of us? Your mood is annoying me."

Dee blinked his eyes innocently, but his smile widened. "Maybe I just do it to irk you." Pause. "Sir."

Rose dug his nails into his arm. "I doubt it." He took a deep breath before standing up and walking around his desk.

"Detectives, the situation at hand is dire. I will be talking to the media this afternoon, so I want the rest of you to be invisible until then. We've received countless calls from worried citizens who are too afraid to open their packages, and we can't check up on them all. I'm putting in a request to station you at different post offices for the time being.

"Based on what Jim has been able to deduce from the remains of our victims, the package contains organic material only, so if it sets of a scanner, it's safe. Another precinct managed to locate two eyewitnesses – one actually saw the bomb go off from far away, and the other was in contact with a package for a short while.

"We are looking at a small package. Brown wrapping paper in each instance, standard string. Ted, I want your report on those chemicals as soon as possible. Two detectives will be in later today to look over it, and you can compare theories. Dismissed."

"WHAT?" Ted's indignant outburst was ignored as the sound of a cellphone penetrated the office.

Rose just shooed them out as he reached for the noisy thing at his hip while navigating his way around the desk again.

---

Dee hummed a silly song all the way back to their workstations. Marty and Drake were speculating on the cause when Ted stepped in front of Dee and, once again, asked the question to which none of them had received an answer yet.

"What is UP with you? I want to chance the guess that you got laid, but we all saw you sleeping on the couch this morning. And you're still wearing the same clothes as yesterday, which, by the way, is disgusting."

Dee just smiled and thought back to the events of last night.

He had been pissed at something the monkey brat had done, and had gone up to the roof to smoke a cigarette when his phone beeped. Without reading the number he had opened the message, and stood closer to the blinking light to read it.

He had been puzzled at first, thinking it was police work, but his curiosity had been peeked.

So he had ran down the stairs, shouted to Bikky that something came up and slapped thirty bucks down on the table before he had ran to his car.

_You did not receive this message._

_You will not visit The Stargazer tonight._

_You did not receive this message._

So when he stood in the lobby of the shabby motel known as The Stargazer, he didn't hesitate to give the lady at the desk his name. She handed him a key without saying much and returned to her book. He headed up the stairs to the room printed on the key.

He cautiously opened the door and stepped into the darkness, but whirled around when the door shut behind him. The lights clicked on and temporary blinded him, but he immediately recognized the voice…

"I knew you had a knack to do things you're told not to."

Dee was stunned. The man that stood in front of him was one HOT son of a bitch.

A son of a bitch that was wearing HIS clothes.

"RYO?"

That's when the man attacked him and latched his lips onto Dee's. For a few minutes they struggled for breath together before breaking free.

"Ryo! But you're on assignment! I thought you weren't supposed to have contact with anyone! Or is it over? Are you coming home? God I'm – "

"Dee, hush. I'm not here, remember? And neither are you. You are at home, drinking beer and eating pizza, and I'm in my temporarily apartment studying alcohol." He caught the bewildered look on Dee's face and laughed as he kissed him again. "Don't ask, I'll tell you all about it when this is over."

They kissed for a few minutes more before Dee murmured a question against Ryo's lips.

"Why are you risking being seen with me here?"

Ryo pulled away. "I won't be seen. I'm a detective – I know all the tricks. Besides," he lowered his eyes, "I felt terrible about leaving you as I did. I'm sorry about that."

Instantly the guilt struck the green-eyed man again, and he pulled Ryo close to him. "No, I'm sorry. I should've handled the situation better. I talked to the brat, we sorted things out. Sometimes I just lose it Ryo, I don't mean to. I know I make these excuses all the time and I get on your nerves but… I just…"

The part Japanese man kissed him again. "Shh. Let's forget about that, shall we? I wouldn't change you for the world. Now, I have two hours – make that one and a half – before I have to go back. Let's make tonight better than the last one."

Ryo hooked his fingers in Dee's belt and pulled him towards the bed, sitting down in front of Dee as he undid the other man's jeans. Still standing the taller man kicked off his shoes and pulled his shirt over his head. As his pants pooled around his feet he kneeled down and kicked them off too, before he started to relieve the other man of his clothing.

"Do you have any idea how hard I looked for this shirt yesterday?" Dee kissed a trail around Ryo's face, but pulled back harshly as his tongue encountered metal.

"What the?"

"Do you like it?"

Two silver rings adorned the light haired man's left ear. They were simple bands, but it was obvious that the rings went THROUGH Ryo's ear and weren't clip-ons.

"You got your ear pierced? Ryo?"

The semi naked man blushed bright red and fisted his hands in the sheets. "I lost a bet, believe it or not. I managed to wriggle my way out of the other half for the time being though."

Dee looked at his lover, smiled, and leaned forward to kiss the rings. "I love it – it makes you look bad. Do you have any idea how hot you're looking right now? God, I can't wait to have you…"

So that was how they spent the next hour. Dee took Ryo several times, and their cries resounded in the small of the room. The shower was too small for the both of them, so they ended up watching each other – which resulted in another round of fun.

Finally Ryo had pulled his shirt back on, and left a very sated Dee languidly stretched out on the bed. Dee had stayed there for another hour before heading out, but his fatigue consumed him and he only went as far as the precinct where he had collapsed in the break room.

That's where he had woken up, and that's why he now found himself facing Ted with a sappy little smile on his face.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told ya. Now, don't you have a report to write?"

---

Something about Dee had been irritating Drake lately, and he couldn't put his finger on it. Now, as he walked behind the man, he tried to examine him.

Dee didn't look much different. He was still the rash, impulsive man Ted and him had met back in the day. So what was it?

---

Ryo had been sneaking glances at the woman in the corner of the bar all evening. Something about her was familiar, something that had triggered his detective senses when he had first seen her walking in.

She wasn't doing anything suspicious though. In fact, she looked like she was here to get drunk and go home with the flavour of the night.

He was pouring a burly man a drink when Mary approached him.

"A freak just puked all over the floor in front. Think you can handle the entire bar for about fifteen minutes while I clean up? I'd tell James to get his butt over here, but he's… occupied at the moment. If I were you I'd steer clear of both the backroom and the floor for the night." She pulled a bucket from under the counter.

Ryo grimaced as he peered around the patron in front of his shoulder.

"Good luck. I think you're going to need it. Oh, and you might want to ask Andrew over there to move away, or it'll be his guts you clean up next." Mary shot him an annoyed look, but he laughed it off.

It wasn't until the lady in the corner stood up to leave that Ryo realized why she seemed so familiar.

The pattern on her dress was the same as the one in the last picture of the drug route – it may have been black and white, but there was no mistaking the colour version that had just swept his eyes…

---

-AN- The action begins! Sorry for not writing the whole lemon scene, I know you wanted it, but there is a reason for that. You'll see in later chapters. 'Til next time!

-Me-


	6. Chapter 6

-AN- This story is set not long after volume 7 of the manga. More details of the precise setting will be revealed in later chapters. Enjoy!

- Disclaimer - I do not own FAKE, or any of it's characters – they belong to Sanami Matoh. I would not object to them being donated to me though. I also do not have a beta – these chaps are all me. You see a mistake, you NOTIFY me! Please!

---

Ever since Drake had intercepted JJ's pounce, he was moody. Back then he had shrugged of his actions with an annoyed look and a simple "Damnit JJ, I've been looking for you for the best part of this hour! We have WORK to do!"

He didn't know _why_ he did it, but at the time there had been no questions in his mind.

And the case wasn't helping. Ted's chemical research narrowed the path, but it didn't get them anywhere. JJ was supposed to work on the package sorting, but somehow Drake had been roped into it. JJ spent the majority of his time around Dee, doing most of the work Dee was supposedly doing.

Now Dee was irritating him again, and the man wasn't even _doing _anything. He was just sitting there, staring at the papers and _god if he didn't get out of the office soon he was going to scream…_

All heads turned as Drake stood up abruptly. His mind worked overtime for a few seconds.

"I need to get outa here for a while, so I might as well pick lunch up on the way. Anyone interested?"

The overall gloom that had descended on their office lifted for a few seconds as menus were passed around. JJ carefully glanced up at Drake over the Chinese menu in his hands, thinking back to the file-room incident.

He had kept a closer eye on Drake since then, but so far nothing had jumped out at him as odd. Drake still acted like he always did around JJ, and his confusion had ebbed.

Maybe he had just read too much into it.

The events of two days ago had literally winded him though, and the confusion was back. A though sprung to mind, and he tested the waters.

"I'm not sure what I want. Surprise me?" Drake frowned, but nodded, and turned his attention to Marty who was rambling on about the dos-and-don'ts for his hamburger. Ted had a simple request, and Dee opted for the expensive. Drake mock-glared at him and held his hand out for the money, which was reluctantly deposited in it.

Dee frowned at the glare he was receiving more often these days.

Had he done something wrong again?

---

JJ stared at the Chinese meal that was deposited in front of him. No onions – check. Extra mushrooms – check. Tagliatelle instead of rice – check.

Was he really that obvious?

"Drake-sempai, when did I tell you that I don't like onions?"

Drake looked up and chewed his way around a mouthful of pasta. What was he supposed to say? Somehow he'd noticed it.

In fact, he'd been noticing quite a few things about JJ lately. His eyes widened as his irritation at Dee suddenly took a new direction. He swallowed heavily and nearly dropped his soda as he choked.

With watery eyes he breathed heavily as Dee slapped him on the back and effectively made him lose his appetite.

---

Mary wearily paced the street outside Ryo's apartment. She had come over to invite him out, but she was nervous. Of course he was much older than her, and would probably not see her as dating material, but it never hurt to try, did it? Besides, she had seen the glances he had directed at Ria the previous evening…

Might as well try while he was still available.

Now if only she could work up her nerve…

The door to her left opened and the object of her dilemma walked out. He was dressed in worn leather, the pants looking a little too big on him. He spotted her and waved.

"Alex! Where are you going?" she fell back on her regular, if not demeaning, manner.

He walked over to her. "Good morning to you too. Don't you sleep?"

"About as much as you do. Now where are you heading?"

Ryo tossed his eyes down the street. "Shopping. You?"

"Visiting you. I hope you plan to buy a new pair of pants. Leather is supposed to be tight, you know." Ryo looked down at the pants he was wearing. They belonged to Dee, and he _was_ a little bigger than Ryo.

"They're not mine exactly. I suppose I could buy new ones, its not like I've spent my pay on anything yet."

Mary hid a smug smile. Chance.

"I'll come with. You men rarely have any sense of fashion, and maybe we could even talk about that little piece of paint you're missing on your body."

---

Ted slouched down on the couch in the break room. Their case wasn't going anywhere – even the detectives that had come to see his report didn't have much to say.

They'd actually stolen more of his research than contributed to it.

Okay, so it was Ryo's research, but damnit!

His eyes traveled over the tired detectives in the room. JJ was looking exceptionally tired – it might have something to do with the two call outs he's had for sharpshooting. It was rare to happen twice in a day.

Dee was being his usual self, if not more cocky than normal. He was fooling around with the coffee machine.

Again.

Drake was smart to bring his own flask of coffee in the mornings.

His eyes shifted to the detective in question. Drake had been unusually reserved since he had choked on his lunch. The man had probably been dumped recently.

Marty was munching chips with a file in his hand, but his attention was not in the file at all. Ted sighed.

"Hey, does anyone have those files on Bernandez? I swear I saw them around this morning."

"Nah, Berk's got it. I think he's deciphering it as we speak. I left quite the scribble in there for him." Dee laughed. "Ryo'd probably have my head for it when he gets back."

JJ's head lifted off the table. "I can entertain you until he returns. Interested?" Drake stood and left the room as Dee slapped his head and haughtily replied, "Not on your life!"

---

Ryo dropped the bags in his sad excuse for an apartment and wiped his brow. How had he been roped into buying all this? He was sure he didn't own half as many pairs of pants as this.

But Dee would love him in it…

That little thought made him smile. He had to finish this case, and do it well. Then he would be back in his own apartment with Dee.

He'd even pay Bikky to take Carol out.

He stripped his clothes and pulled on the outfit Mary had designated him to wear tonight. The pants were a little to snug for his liking, but the chain bands that flowed from the top intrigued him. He hooked his thumbs in them and posed in front of the mirror.

Oh, Dee would definitely like _that_.

---

Drake collapsed on his bed after kicking of his shoes. This was all wrong. He couldn't be…

The words died in his mind. This was JJ, after all. Drake knew he was a sucker for the man's smile, but it had never occurred to him…

Damnit.

He roughly stood from the bed and pulled the clothes from his body. They were discarded on the floor, and for a moment he paused to look at them.

How does JJ think of him? Does he notice the little things too?

Would being with the hyperactive kitten curse him to a life forever dominated by Dee's shadow?

Is the only reason for his clothes to end up on the floor going to be because he himself had tossed them there?

---

She was there again that night. Mary glared at Ria, suddenly cursing herself for the outfit she had picked for Ryo. The damned woman had raised her eyebrows appraisingly at the barman, and had been looking at him all night.

The fact that Ryo had blushed beet red when he caught her didn't help. She had done everything possible to avoid the two of them talking together, but her attempts seemed futile as Ryo strode over.

She watched them for a while before her attention was needed at a table.

Oh, how she hated that woman.

---

-AN- Another chappie. I have a huge project to work on at the moment, and I love it to bits, so I'm spending a mountain of time on it. I don't want to rush the story, but I've had so many ideas lately, it's hard to filter through them.

Drake and JJ's relationship is pretty much planned, and I know the pace I want it to go at, but I'm having trouble with fitting it into the timeline I've plotted for Ryo. Currently his situation seems a bit boring, but it will pick up speed as soon as I can get that damned Ria in character. Oh I can't wait!!

-Me-


	7. Chapter 7

-AN- This story is set not long after volume 7 of the manga. More details of the precise setting will be revealed in later chapters. Enjoy!

- Disclaimer - I do not own FAKE, or any of it's characters – they belong to Sanami Matoh. I would not object to them being donated to me though. I also do not have a beta – these chaps are all me. You see a mistake, you NOTIFY me! Please!

---

You never realize how safe you feel with the comforting weight of a gun at your side until you're caught without it. Ryo winced as another bullet chipped the wood a few centimeters from his face. He shrunk back behind the counter. From behind him he could hear the sound of a latch being ripped open and he turned in time to see James pulling a shotgun from under the counter. A smaller pistol tumbled out as well.

"Grab that! There's bullets in the box!" James was pumping ammunition into his own gun as he shouted over the racket. "I hope you can shoot worth a damn!"

Ryo stared indecisively at the weapon when another bullet flung wood in his face. Grabbing at the familiar item his eye caught Mary. She was huddled in a corner of the bar, hands protectively holding her legs close, but looking much too calm for his liking.

Almost as though she was used to this.

His hands worked on autopilot as he loaded the gun, surveying what was going on around him.

Two cars were parked at the front door, engines still running, their occupants hanging out of the open windows to shoot. The customers were running for cover, more than half of the sober ones revealing weapons of their own and returning fire. Three patrons he assumed dead judging from the amount of blood spilling from the bodies, and another man was well on his way. He was desperately clutching his stomach even as juices flowed from his body and burned his fingers.

Clicking the magazine into place, he leaned to the right of the bar and aimed at one of the gunners. Pulling the trigger, the shot slammed into the laughing man's hand, making him drop the automatic weapon with a curse. He clambered back into the car clutching his hand as another bullet left the barrel of Ryo's gun and hit the man on the backseat in the arm. He fumbled with the piece of machinery as it threatened to slip from his fingers.

The shotgun firing from behind him made Ryo start, and he pulled back as the spray of bullets sunk holes into the car. He took a deep breath, resolving to stop the shooting as fast as possible.

Two quick shots resounded from his weapon, hitting two more in the hands before the cars pulled away. A few desperate die-hards ran out after the cars to waste shells and shout curses.

"Ha! We got 'em good!" James smiled broadly and proudly held his gun in his hands. Mary strode over and extended her hand to Ryo.

"Congratulations Alex! You've survived what many before you have not." Her voice lost its candor. "May you continue to do so." Abruptly she turned her attention to the rest of the bar where she pulled new glasses from behind the glass to start serving again.

It was all wrong.

Suddenly the bar seemed fuller than it was as curious passer-byes dropped by to celebrate in the victory. Ryo's head spun in horror when a heavy hand on his shoulder pulled him back into reality.

"Come on Alex. We've got clean-up duty." His eyes traveled to the bodies on the floor.

Ryo hung back as James stepped forward. He turned to look when he realized the other man wasn't following him.

"Shouldn't we… you know, contact the police? Or someone?"

James squinted, then laughed out loud. "Good god, you're a piece of work! The cops? No boy, around here they don't have time for us. If you plan on living out here, you're gonna have to get used to that. I don't know what upscale living arrangement you came from, but here, it's everyone for himself. Survival of the fittest if you want."

He returned to the task at hand. "Come on. I'll show you how we deal with things."

Ryo hesitantly joined James as Mary skirted around them, her hands full of drinks. His detective-mode was taking over again, analyzing facts as he lifted the bloodied corpse to carry it out with James.

"Why… why did they attack this place?"

James shrugged his shoulders as much as he was able. "Not a clue, but I have my suspicions. The only person always in the bar during one of those…" he shook his head. "Nah. I won't say. I'm not gonna risk my neck over something silly like this. It brings business."

Ryo nodded in acknowledgement. He understood.

Sort of.

But damn if he didn't feel like a criminal.

---

Drake blinked in amazement. It was funny how the human mind worked.

Just yesterday he had admitted to himself that being attracted to JJ wasn't all that bad, and suddenly the case seemed to make more sense. He even had a new theory about the motive behind the bombings, courtesy of the early morning newsreader. She had said something about the police having their hands full that had clicked a cog into place in his mind.

Halfway to the precinct he had scribbled ideas on post-it notes that were currently clinging for dear life to his steering wheel. He turned into the parking lot and frowned when he found himself consciously pulling into the empty spot next to JJ's car.

He shook his head.

He was being silly.

He had woken up earlier than usual and had spent the time picking out his outfit. Somewhere in his closet, the part where he never folded anything, he had found a pair of black faded jeans and a black turtleneck top.

A previous girlfriend had once told him that all men looked good in turtlenecks. His image in the mirror had agreed.

So as he stepped from his car, he shook a few stray blond hairs out of his eyes and slid his shades into place.

He felt like kicking ass today.

He felt good.

Maybe JJ would even be surprised enough to shut up about Dee…

---

Berkeley frowned as he double-took the man that had just walked past him. At first he didn't recognize him, his eyes traveling appreciatively up the sleek figure. He had nodded respectfully when the figure froze and seemed to stifle a laugh. Only when his greeting was voiced in return did Rose finally recognize Drake.

He stared in embarrassment after the black clad man, wondering why he had not realized who it was. After a while he concluded that Drake was carrying himself differently, more determined than his usual slouch.

He shook his head.

He prayed that whoever had inspired the sudden change didn't die soon.

Being a fan of the blond-ish breed, it was a very nice change of scenery.

---

"You're late." Ria looked up into the face of a man that resembled her own. She waved nonchalant hand at him.

"It's your fault. Rick and his men saw me at The Talisman, and thought they would score." She flung a rag in his general direction. "It's the second time this month! And it happened just as I was getting to know a really hot guy." She huffed in indignation.

He leaned against the doorway, smirking at his sister's attitude.

"Planning on bringing him home for Tim to play on?" She shot a glare at him and he held up his hands in defense. "Hey, I was just saying. Nothing wrong with you screwing a guy or two, but lately I heard all your catches went to him."

She tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Fuck off. He needs the practice. It's not like drunk men put up much of a fight. Plus, you make a profit off of them later anyway."

He narrowed his eyes at her as he stalked over and grabbed her by the hair. "I can make a profit of you too if I want, don't forget that." He jerked her head back for emphasis and left the room.

She stared after him in open contempt as she muttered "I hate you."

---

Ryo slumped down on his makeshift bed as sleep spilled over him in waves. He didn't even bother to write up what had happened the previous day, he was tired and quite sure that it would remain in his memory for quite some time.

He sighed as he pulled his legs up and felt cold air against his knee.

It was sad in a way. He had just spent a small fortune on the pair of pants he was wearing and they didn't even make it through the day.

Unconsciously he reached out to the missing warmth next to him.

---

Drake felt like a million bucks as he settled himself into his chair behind his desk. Pulling his keyboard closer, he deposited the stick-it notes onto the screen as he simultaneously began to pull up the records he was looking for.

JJ had flat ignored his greeting, and had opted to stare at him in silence.

Whether the man's mouth or brain had stopped working wasn't clear.

Ted had cursed and demanded to know who his hot date was, Marty vigorously nodding his head in support of the question. He had grinned and innocently stated that he didn't have a date… yet.

But what had made him feel the best he had in over ten years was more centered on his recent one-sided competition with a green-eyed man.

He basked in the moment as he remembered to mark the day on his calendar.

Dee had spilled his coffee on his lap when Drake walked by.

---

-AN- Insert laughter Wow… I really liked typing up this chapter. I feel like a bit of an idiot though. I was going to write the price for Ryo's jeans when I realized that I don't have a clue how much jeans would be. It's embarrassing… Wrong currency! I think it costs ±R200 for a pair of nice jeans around here.

Anyhow.

Ria's coming along nicely, that little bit I wrote reveals quite a lot. And Drake… Happiness is…

Haha! I have to calm down now…

-Me-


	8. Chapter 8

- Disclaimer - I do not own FAKE, or any of its characters – they belong to Sanami Matoh. I would not object to them being donated to me though. I also do not have a beta – these chaps are all me. You see a mistake, you NOTIFY me! Please!

JJ swore under his breath as his eyes traveled towards Drake's seated figure once again. For some absurd reason, he felt annoyed as hell.

Was Drake really so desperate to get a girl?

He couldn't believe his eyes when the man had first walked in. He considered himself Dee-exclusive, but that didn't stop him from noticing the other fish in the sea.

And oh, what a catch had walked in.

Instinctively he had known that it was Drake, but his eyes didn't make the connection at first. He wanted to believe that Drake's smoky eyes had sought him out where he stood gawking against the wall, but JJ knew that it was probably due to a different reason than the one his mind had first supplied him with.

Dee's cursing from the corner had broken him from his trance as he watched the hot liquid spreading on said person's pants. Running to the bathroom to sort out his thoughts as well as retrieve a wet cloth, he escaped the room.

The cloth he accomplished, but the soul searching was taking a little longer.

Drake turned his head in the younger man's direction, and JJ lowered his head, lest he be caught staring.

He still hadn't figured Drake out. The man's odd behavior had him stumped for the better part of the week already. He knew what he wanted it to mean – and he also saw it as selfish behavior on his own part.

He wanted Dee, right?

---

When enough time had passed to be safe enough to take a break, Dee, Ted and Marty stormed into Drake and JJ's office. JJ looked up from his computer search, eager to join in the interrogation, but their luck was cut short as the door opened again and commissioner Rose walked in.

The look he gave Drake wasn't lost on anyone.

JJ snapped his pencil's lead.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Dee had his hands on the desk, but his eyes were glaring at Rose. His temper had taken a turn for the worst again, and Berkeley sighed.

"Well? What did you want to see me about?" He directed his gaze at Drake, who blinked dumbfounded back.

"Actually sir, I wanted to discuss it with JJ first. I didn't expect you to show up immediately after I sent the mail."

"Well, something seemed different about you today. Call me curious." Rose effectively covered up his mistake. Folding his arms, he asked, "so what did you wish to discuss?"

Drake scooted back to face his computer. "Actually, I believe I have a possible motive behind the bombings. If you look at the first case," he typed a command on the keyboard, and a new window opened, "you'll notice that the person was involved with a detective J. Connor. A seeming unrelated fact, but look – he transferred out of the first precinct that this case was assigned to.

"Then here, the ninth case – again a person this Conner fellow knew."

Drake turned his head to look at his fellow detectives, but pulled back suddenly when it was the commissioner's face that was right next to him.

"Interesting theory, but out of twenty-six victims, only two sharing a connection isn't enough Drake. You're supposed to know that."

Drake clicked his fingers. "Exactly. Tell me, commissioner, if you wanted to take revenge on the police, how would you go about it? Considering you know precisely how the law operates." He watched as Rose's brows furrowed.

"But, seeing as Connor was personally involved in this case, he would never have been assigned to it. And you said he transferred out – it doesn't fit your theory." Drake looked at Ted.

"Does it? Connor left his previous girlfriend to hook up with his partner, a Miss Andrews. She was the first to receive the case."

"So this person is keeping Andrews occupied as well as killing off people Connor knew. Enough to keep him miserable, I'd say. Plus it's on the news every night – and they are blaming the police for their incompetence."

Drake smiled his most charming smile at JJ. He couldn't have said it better himself.

Dee thought for a while, then dejectedly stated, "So we're looking for a woman with a grudge against cops. Cute."

---

Tracking down Conner was no easy task. It took the detectives a total of five hours to locate him – only to find his dead body swinging from the rafters. The flies had infested his body, and it was a disgusting, swirling mass of black.

Ted blanched as he watched a team of four attempting to bring the body down. A rope snapped and a glob of blackish goo landed on an unfortunate CSI. He turned away to see similar expressions of revolt on Dee and Marty's faces.

Rose had commandeered Drake as soon as they found the body – a superior somewhere had caught wind of what was happening and had demanded the detective responsible should make a statement to the media. In reality it was just a publicity stunt to show that the police force _weren't_ as incompetent as the media claimed, but Drake was flustered.

His only comfort was that he was actually looking good for a change, especially since he was due on TV in a few minutes. He had struggled with the decision to share the glory with JJ, but couldn't find a reason to. _He_ had been the one to do JJ's share of the work most of the time, since JJ was more interested in Dee than anything else.

And he was iffed that JJ still hadn't said anything about his appearance that day. He had _dressed up_ for the guy for god's sake!

Not that JJ was supposed to know that, of course. But he had to justify the anger he was feeling somehow.

He slumped forward in his chair as the purple haired detective rounded the corner with two cups of coffee, and sat next to him in silence.

Not a word was spoken.

---

Finally, Friday arrived. Ryo stretched his aching arms and legs – his discomfort due to the strange position he had fallen asleep in. Yawning, he watched his alarm clock and waited for the numbers to seize blurring.

3pm.

Slowly sitting up, he went through his mental day planner.

It dawned on him that he should have reported in an hour ago. Cursing under his breath, he located his cellphone and punched in the number he knew by heart. He refrained from pressing the call button though, instead reaching for his toothbrush.

He had decided that Rose was better off not knowing he had changed jobs. Let the man believe his precious detective was still safe and sound, tucked away in a corner market counting money.

His irritation made him grimace, and he swallowed, only to choke on the horrible mint flavour of his morning routine.

---

Ria was at the bar again that night. Her make-up looked almost heavy on her left side, but Mary passed it off. The woman was probably covering up a pimple.

She was also flirting shamelessly with Ryo. The man seemed to be oblivious to this fact though, and Mary saw this as both a curse and a blessing. He didn't seem to mind the attention, quite the opposite of his reaction a few days ago.

She narrowed her eyes. Perhaps this was her way into the conversation.

Striding over to where they were once again locked in discussion, she cleared her throat.

"You know, the last time someone showered him with attention, he ended up with two more holes in his body. And he still hasn't fulfilled the last half of the bet." Ria raised her eyebrows as Ryo blushed red.

"Pray tell!" She clasped her hands in front of her and leaned forward. Mary narrowed her eyes at the display of cleavage, but plunged headlong into what she hoped would scare the woman off.

"He still has to get a tattoo. That's what he had to do if the woman dumped her drink in his face for telling her he's gay. Which she did." Mary grinned triumphantly at Ria's shocked look.

Ryo's own mind was in a buzz. Mary might have just spoiled his best chances to get close to this mystery. He was about to clear up the misunderstanding when Ria's eyes lit up and she grabbed his hand.

"Really? You haven't decided on a design yet I hope? I know the perfect person, he's been training for some time now!" Ryo blinked, surprised.

"Excuse me?"

"Please consider it. His work is excellent. He's been feeling down lately, and it will cheer him up, I know it will!"

Ryo went over his options. This woman was the only lead he had on the case, and he really wanted to show Commissioner Rose up. He had been hoping to wiggle out of the tattoo deal though. Maybe if it were small, and easily removable…

"Do you have examples of his work? Photo's or something?"

Ria nodded. Her hopes were dashed that the gorgeous man in front of her was gay, but perhaps she could coax him back into the closet. Tim, on the other hand, would be ecstatic. Finally he would have a subject that wanted a tattoo, and not just a drunk fart that ended up dying in her brother's business.

"Should I bring them here, or would you like to come over to my place to meet him?"

Mary nearly exploded.

---

Drake slammed the office door, and heavily leaned back against it on the other side. Finally, he knew how Ryo felt. He refused to acknowledge that he might have been flattered under different circumstances.

A shudder crept up his spine.

He picked out his outfit every morning now. The appreciative looks he received from JJ in the mornings made the recent expansion of his wardrobe worthwhile.

What he wasn't counting on however, were the _other _appreciative glances. Especially since his appearance on TV.

One man in particular had him hiding in his office at the moment.

He swore under his breath as he vowed never to make fun of Ryo again.

Right now, he was disgusted. With himself, with the male species in general, and with this _one man_.

He shuddered again.

He hadn't seen it coming until it was too late, and there was no one around to save him. He had wanted it, but not from _him_. Not from _HIM_.

God.

So caught was Drake in his musings as he hyperventilated, that he didn't notice the other presence in the office. Clutching his shirt over his heart he slid down the door. His other hand went to press over his eyes.

Then warm hands were on him. A voice was asking questions far away, but they didn't register in his brain. Slowly the hands turned his face upwards, and clouded eyes met blue ones in a sea of turmoil.

"Drake? Drake? Breathe Drake! Breathe!"

His hands went to clutch at the other man's shirt as he started heaving air.

Fuck Rose.

---

-AN- I hate my dad. It's official. I haven't spoken a word to him since yesterday afternoon. But you guys don't want to hear about me – though I do have to apologize for only updating now when I promised earlier. A lot of things happened, and I'm not over some of them yet.

Anyway! What do think happened to Drake? I left enough clues! And Ryo's stage is set! Yaha! Now the title of the story can finally come into effect!

-Me-


	9. Chapter 9

- Disclaimer - I do not own FAKE, or any of it's characters – they belong to Sanami Matoh. I would not object to them being donated to me though. I also do not have a beta – these chaps are all me. You see a mistake, you NOTIFY me! Please!

Barely eleven o'clock that evening, the first sign of trouble made itself known. Ryo was mixing a drink behind the counter, Mary waiting anxiously in front of it. James exited from the back room, his hair a disheveled mess, obviously with the intent of taking a little bit of the merchandise with him.

That's when the newcomer had walked in. Dishwater blond with murderous green eyes, heading straight for James.

"We've got activity." Ryo perked his ears. James sighed a heavy sigh and rolled his hands on the counter. Mary marched off with her order.

"What is it now? I swear, I'm too old for this shit."

"No, no. Nothing tedious this time." The man waved his hand absentmindedly in front of his face. "Just keep your eyes open. Apparently there's a cop on the loose in these parts." He leaned in closer to James. "Undercover on some bullshit assignment."

Ryo nearly choked on his own spit. He had to force himself to concentrate, but kept one ear on the conversation.

"What the fuck would a cop want here?" James narrowed his eyes. "It's not because of these shooting is it?"

The other man hauled his shoulders up. "Dunno. That's all I heard. He's supposedly a pretty one. He should be easily recognizable though."

"Why do you say that?"

"They say he's part Japanese. Trust me, an Asian dude would stand out. But I wouldn't put it past these uptown boys to try to shut us down here for small stuff. I mean, this guy must have some guts to come down here into this shit-hole." A cigarette was produced and lit. "Just report any suspicious people, okay?"

James nodded his assent, and with that the man left. Sighing, the owner of the bar ran a hand through his hair and pointedly dropped his head on the table.

Ryo's own heart was beating in his chest, but outwards he remained calm. He was thankful that no one was currently ordering anything, for he was sure he would mess up. How did they know? Only Rose – and whomever he was reporting to – was supposed to know about the case. Even in the official records he was signed up on something different. And he had only reported in nine hours prior! Was his apartment tapped? The line? But why?

Why would they suspect him? Had he slipped up?

What exactly was he messing with?

Somewhere in the back of his mind he thanked the gods that he had inherited his father's looks and not his mother's.

A movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he turned to see James wave him over. Panic struck him then, but his fear was short lived as the man opened his mouth and spoke.

"You heard most of that right? Keep your eyes open. I know you come from a white picket fence family, but cops spell trouble in these parts. I'm not much of an expert on looks, but I suppose this guy would be a new face, either a loner or someone who fits in too well. They often make that mistake." He slowly stood up, stretching. "Damnit. Tina's probably mad at me for staying out here so long."

He grabbed a bottle and disappeared through the back room again.

"What's wrong?" Ryo turned to see Mary behind him.

"A man was just here. He told us to keep our eyes open for an undercover cop. Apparently he's part Japanese."

"Shouldn't be too hard to spot then." Mary shrugged it off, but continued to stand in front of him, fidgeting slightly. Ryo was about to ask when she seemingly scraped her confidence together and blurted,

"Will you go on a date with me tomorrow?"

---

Dee swore as his cigarette landed tip first on his thigh. Drake had just dived into the office, and was standing behind the closed door breathing heavily. The blonde's hair was tousled and windswept – he must have been running like hell. Dee had burst out laughing at the spectacle, which had resulted in his burnt leg as he sat atop Ted's desk.

JJ, who was also in the room, rushed forward.

"Drake? What happened? Are you okay?"

Drake blinked at his surroundings, pulling himself together.

"Yeah. I'm fine." He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. "It's nothing."

"Bullshit. No one tackles air like that for fun." Ted's eyes followed Drake as he moved away from the door. Dee went to pat his friend on the shoulder in mock sympathy.

They were all shocked however, as Drake violently flinched away from the touch as if burned. The latter stared back in horror, his focus switching between detectives and finally resting on JJ, before he bolted out the door.

"What the fuck?"

The silence lasted for all of five seconds, then Dee, being closest to the door, was chasing after him.

---

"I should have known to look here first."

Drake turned his head, accepting the cigarette Dee offered him. The raven-haired man lit up his own, and together they smoked in silence.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to react like that."

Dee slowly inhaled the smoke, opting for silence.

"I've had some trouble lately with the media. And other shit's been happening too." They were silent for a while, Drake contemplating whether he should tell Dee about the commissioner. As sympathetic as Dee was being, he knew the man would laugh at him.

He wasn't sure he could deal with that.

Hell, it wasn't Dee he wanted on the roof there with him.

It tore at his heart that his own partner had not ran after him. But what did he expect? The man was in love with the devil next to him.

The urge to throttle Dee made itself known in his body. Suddenly running away wasn't enough.

"I'm going to ask for a few days off." He dropped the half-smoked cigarette on the floor and stepped on it, Dee staring in dismay at the wasted bud.

Drake tensed as though he was about to say something at the door, but silently disappeared through it. Dee sighed and tapped the ash over the side of the building.

What was Drake hiding?

---

"Shit!"

Ryo paced the length of his room. Every second turn he would kick the pillow that had fallen off the bed. His mind was in disarray.

This was the first time he was experiencing a dilemma of this kind. Rose obviously had _no_ idea just how deep the connection into the force ran. Ryo was sure though. After taking Mary out to a late lunch – he really was too kind for his own good – they had walked past the corner market where he had been supposed to work.

The building was scorched black. Onlookers said that everyone inside had died in the fire the previous day.

Ryo was scared.

It had to be a superior officer. Who did Rose report to? Someone that had never seen him, otherwise the Japanese decent wouldn't have been mentioned. Should he report back anymore? Could he risk it?

If the station line was under observation, there was no way. Since his apartment was still intact, he was fifty percent sure that they didn't know his whereabouts exactly.

Or was the fire just a warning?

Dare he hope that they considered him dead? If so, then they were probably waiting to confirm. If he didn't report back, then he was safe, right?

He cursed himself. He couldn't contact Rose. Even Dee was out of the question. Now the late night traipse with the love of his life didn't seem so safe anymore.

Was playing dead his only option?

Could Rose figure it out on his own?

What would Dee do if he found out?

---

JJ was staring at a computer screen full of possible female suspects when two hands were heavily slapped down on his desk. Looking up into Dee's face, he flung himself – to Dee's horror – into said person's arms just as the door opened and Drake peered in.

Stunned, they gauged each other. Dee flung JJ off himself, but when he looked back to the door, Drake had left without saying a word.

"Fuck." He sat down on the nearest available chair.

JJ crawled over to his feet, ecstatic that his god had paid him a visit.

"Stop it, you little shit. Something's wrong with Drake."

JJ's face fell. "I know." He bunched his hands into fists on the floor.

They contemplated each other in silence.

"Something happened yesterday, and he wouldn't tell me what. He was hyperventilating and everything, he nearly passed out."

Dee furrowed his brow. "When was this?"

"Yesterday evening, just after end of shift."

Dee pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and sucked on the unlit object.

"He said that he's been having trouble with the media. I don't believe him." He toyed with the cigarette again. "Rose would probably approve his request for a few days off too. God knows, we owe him for the break in the case."

"What?" JJ stared at Dee. "Days off? Why?"

Irritated, the green-eyed man kicked at the lavender spot on the floor.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out!"

---

-AN- That wasn't supposed to happen!!! They wrote themselves, I swear! How am I going to fix this? Damn you Drake, damn you! Okay, Ryo's situation is coming along nicely evil laughter , and Drake is spinning out of my control. He has to sort himself out.

I have enough problems of my own!

-Me-


	10. Chapter 10

- Disclaimer - I do not own FAKE, or any of it's characters – they belong to Sanami Matoh. I would not object to them being donated to me though. I also do not have a beta – these chaps are all me. You see a mistake, you NOTIFY me! Please!

Walking into the commissioner's office was one of the worst ideas he had ever had. Staring straight at Rose, Drake felt a new wave of sympathy for Ryo sweep through him. The man dealt with this every day; he was probably used to it. Rose was most likely just superimposing Ryo on him.

A muscle jumped under his eye. How was he supposed to handle this?

"Can I help you, Drake?"

Drake. Not 'Detective', not 'Parker', Drake.

Just like Ryo.

When did he start hating his own name?

"I would like to request a few days off. I believe I have three accumulated." Rose stood up from his chair, and Drake tensed closer to the door. He rested his hip against the table and took his glasses off.

Sign number one of impending assault.

"Is something wrong? You look tense."

_Really? No shit._

"I'm experiencing some difficulties right now, sir. We're making headway on this case, so I believe you can spare me for a few days without any inconvenience." Rose was moving closer again.

Drake felt for the doorknob behind him.

"You may have been a detective for longer than the others at this precinct, but you're still so inexperienced. Has no-one ever hit on you?" A hand rested on the door next to Drake's face, who glanced at it in panic.

"This is harassment. Let me go."

"Harassment? I'm not doing anything to you Drake." That sultry smile was still in place; Drake felt trapped. "I'll see you back at work on Wednesday."

It happened too fast. The pressure against his lips was gone and he was left frozen against the wall. Berkeley reached for the door and held it open for him.

"Good day, Drake."

That smile. That god-forsaken smile that had him wake up in shivers at night.

Slowly finding his footing, Drake stood up straight. He refused to look at Rose as he walked through the door, but as the commissioner was about to close it, he reached out a hand to stop it. Smokey eyes met lush brown in challenge.

Then, Drake left.

---

JJ stared at Drake's empty desk for nearly a full fifteen minutes. He kept being distracted by it. As much as he wanted to deny it, Drake had looked hurt when he had peeked into the office.

Was there really a chance that the older detective might fancy him?

He had to admit, Drake was handsome in a rugged sort of way. He may not have a pretty face, but you felt comfortable in his presence. Safe.

Wanted.

Or was that just him?

He sighed.

So far they had the suspects narrowed down to three people, two of which were missing. It was highly unlikely that the one remaining was the perpetrator, but they had to make sure. No further bombing incidents were reported either. It was assumed that their criminal was on the run.

But he couldn't concentrate on it.

Damn that empty desk.

Would Drake mind if he went to visit?

---

Mary was all smiles at work that evening, even though the bar was empty. A fire was a big issue after all; the police couldn't ignore it.

Thus, with the threat of cops on the street, only the innocent, the brave and the stupid were about. And none of them were going to drink.

"See what I mean? Cops are trouble. They chase all my business away." James was complaining loudly, slouched over the bar with a pout. Ryo kicked his knees lightly.

"You're just upset that Lilia turned you down. If you had someone to fool around with, you'd be all smiles." James mock-glared in Ryo's general direction.

"I'd bet you'd even give us off." Mary hopped onto the bar, knocking the glass out of Ryo's hand. It spun on the table before he caught it. She smiled apologetically.

James just sighed. "Then have the night off. I'm not paying you to sit here and do nothing."

Mary squealed in excitement. Now she and Ryo could spend some quality time together, maybe even indulge in a little bedroom activity…

"Say, Alex, you don't have anything planned for tonight, do you?" Ryo shook his head.

"Not that I know of. Work, sleep, eat," he counted on his fingers. Mary's grin could put the Cheshire cat to shame.

"To get home I have to cross the police buzz, and I don't want to do that this late at night. Could I perhaps spend the night at your place?"

"I suppose. I only have one bed though, and the place is a little small." Mary was quick to defend.

"Oh, I don't mind sharing! I'd even-"

"Oi! Go flirt somewhere else, I'm depressed here!" James glared over the counter again. Mary stuck her tongue out at him before she hopped of the table.

"I'm just gonna grab my stuff! Wait for me okay?" She disappeared into the back.

Ryo dropped onto a stool next to James. "We're not flirting, just so you know. She's half my age." The barman leaned back in his chair and started laughing. Ryo quizzically looked at him, and shook his head as Mary collected him.

As they left The Talisman, James could only stare with a lopsided grin.

"Boy, you are in for _such_ a surprise."

---

Dee collapsed on the bed, once again going through his messages.

He knew he was a fool to expect Ryo to contact him again. The man was on assignment after all. In a way he felt bad too. The whole deal with Drake kept him busy at work, and he didn't have the chance to miss Ryo as much as he wanted. Only here at night, in Ryo's bed with the brat asleep in the other room, did his lover's absence leave him reeling.

That one night stayed with him though; it fueled his fantasies. He remembered that slick mouth working him, hands fervently grabbing his thighs and pulling him closer, enticing him to reach a peak, only to leave him hanging.

The brush of cool metal against his tongue as he felt himself disappear into that warmth made him breathe faster, even as the voice of the man under him screamed encouragement in his own ear.

That thought brought a stray idea back into his mind. For a moment he wondered what Penguin had done with the jewelry he used to have in his own ear. Maybe he could have it pierced again – Ryo and he could wear matching rings then.

But would Ryo keep the adornments?

He turned on his side, pulling the unused pillow under his chin. The scent of his lover was still present.

Perhaps he could ask Berkeley how Ryo was doing.

He wrinkled his nose in distaste.

Well, for Ryo he could do anything.

---

The doorbell ringing at eleven o'clock at night wasn't on his agenda at all. Apprehensively he peered through the keyhole, only to find that he couldn't see anything. Rolling his eyes at the impracticality of the damn thing, he hooked the chain and opened the door a few inches.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, JJ. Can I come in?"

Stunned Drake stood there for a moment.

JJ? Why was he there?

His hands went through the motions of unhooking the chain and opening the door. Two ice-blue eyes stared back at his frown.

Suddenly the world made sense again.

"Err, come in JJ. Is something wrong?"

JJ took his coat off and hanged it over the nearest chair as Drake closed the door. "Yeah. The problem is, I don't know what, and I'd really like it if you told me."

Confounded, Drake stared at JJ, who stared back determined. "I'm not quite sure I'm following you JJ. Was I supposed to give you a message or something? 'Cause I don't remember anything of-"

The dam seemed to break and JJ spun round to face him, livid.

"NO! What's wrong with _you_?! You show up at the precinct looking all flashy and hot and then you FREAK out! Then you suddenly solve a case that had the ENTIRE city boggled!" JJ seemed to grapple for facts. "And how did you know that I hate _onions_? I've never told anyone!" He clenched his fists and narrowed his brow, Drake frozen on the spot with eyes wide open. "You have no right to confuse me like this! Damnit Drake, YOU'RE NOT DEE!"

Seconds ticked by as the lavender haired man stood there, breathing hard. Realization dawned on him of what he had said, and his expression changed to that of fear.

Drake stood in front of him, head lowered so that his bangs covered his eyes.

He should have known. Everything was always about Dee, and he wasn't it. Was he such a fool to believe that perhaps he could sway the kitten's attentions?

Did it even matter now?

He was at a loss of words. Slowly, he lifted his head and smiled at JJ.

"I wasn't trying to be, JJ. And you don't have to worry about me – I'm always fine." He turned towards the kitchen to obscure his face from view. "Would you like some coffee? You can sit down while I make it."

Biting his lip, JJ's gaze followed Drake into the kitchen. Moving to the door, he could see the blond gripping the tabletop with white knuckles. The choked whisper Drake emitted barely reached his ears.

"God Dee, I hate you…"

---

-AN- Dee hasn't done anything, but don't you want to pound him? You can't really blame anyone now… Hehe, I'm having so much fun! The whole thing with Mary is to put Ryo in an uncomfortable situation. He's been having it easy far too long. And Ria will be back next chapter! (I hope!)

JJ really hit Drake in a sore spot there. Don't you just love complications? I don't – I have to write them! AAH! And it's difficult enough focussing on six different characters all the time! How does everyone else manage?

-Me-


	11. Chapter 11

- Disclaimer - I do not own FAKE, or any of its characters - they belong to Sanami Matoh. I would not object to them being donated to me though. I also do not have a beta - these chaps are all me. You see a mistake, you NOTIFY me! Please!

Ryo sighed and let his shoulders droop. Mary and he were sitting on his bed, watching TV. Well, he was anyway. Mary seemed determined to touch him in any way possible, and it was downright disturbing.

At first she had rested her shoulder against him, which he didn't mind, but then she made a silly excuse to reach across him. The feel of small, developing breasts brushing against his leg for longer than necessary made him start. He had inched away.

Somehow she ended up nearly on his lap though. He wasn't sure how she accomplished it, but here he was, trapped in a corner and with no idea how to handle the overly hormonal teenager. His mind fell back to his old method of dispersing the tension in the air.

"Would you like something to drink?" He stood up as he said this, and hurriedly took the three steps needed to reach the decaying refrigerator. Behind him Mary pouted. This was harder than she expected.

"Sure. What have you got?" she stood up and walked over to him, pressing up against his back to appear interested in the beverages. She could feel him tense up this time.

Sighing, she hooked a finger through one of his belt loops and pulled him back to the bed, where she proceeded to straddle his waist. Her hands flew to his collar, but a sudden strong grip held them in place. Their eyes met for a moment; then Ryo looked away.

"No."

Ryo slowly pushed her off of him and directed her to sit next to him on the bed. She didn't go willingly, but his grip was too strong.

Silence reigned for a while.

"It's my age, isn't it? If it makes you feel any better, I've slept with older guys that you." Ryo looked at her, horrified.

"How would that make me feel better? No, it's not your age – but that contributes as well." He ran a hand through his hair. "Look, I'm not good with stuff like this, and I hate it when people take advantage of me because of it. You're a nice girl, really, but you and I will never work-"

"Says you! You're not even going to give us a chance, so how would you know?" she jumped off the bed and clenched her fists at her sides, all the while screaming louder at him. "But that's not the issue, is it? Why don't you just tell me what your real problem is, huh?" Ryo flinched. "I thought you were different, but you're all the same! Burn in hell!" With that she fled from the apartment, sidestepping Ryo's attempts to calm her down.

She was halfway down the stairs when an awkward force picked her off her feet. Dangling in the air, she didn't resist the temptation to kick. Despite her efforts however, she was carried back to Ryo's apartment.

"Fuck it Alex! Let me go! Put me the fuck down!" She was roughly thrown on the bed and she scrambled upright, glaring newly sharpened daggers at Ryo.

"What? Changed your mind?" The startled look she received made her reconsider. Ryo sat down on the bed again, heaving a nervous sigh.

"I'm in love with someone, okay? Now, if you still want to leave, that's fine with me, but do so once you calm down. Or you can stay here, but I'm going out. Help yourself to whatever is in the fridge."

Mary observed him in silence as he made his way to the door, but as he reached for the doorknob, she spoke one word.

"Who?"

Mary was shocked at the faraway look of longing that rested on the features of the beautiful man in front of her.

"Not someone you know, and not someone I have the privilege of seeing."

And then he was gone.

---

JJ clutched his coffee in his hands as a desperate measure to _think_ Drake into talking to him. The uncomfortable absence of noise was sharpening its teeth up his spine, and he was itching to do _something_.

He wanted to ask Drake what was wrong. He wanted Drake to sit next to him, ruffle his hair, and make a wise-ass remark about his mood. He wanted to apologize, but he wasn't sure what for.

By all means, he wasn't even supposed to know about that last comment.

But it did succeed in making him feel like some insignificant little bug's ass.

And what did it mean?

"Hey." The blue-eyed man looked up into concerned hazy eyes. "You're spacing out." JJ dropped his head and mumbled an apology.

"Talk to me JJ. You know you'll feel better."

Drake watched the younger man closely as he fought the depression from behind his own eyelids. He wasn't sure what to do himself, and then there was Rose…

Should he tell JJ about that?

"I'm sorry." The words pulled him from his reverie. "I shouldn't have said that. I don't even know why I did it…" JJ seemed to let go. "I thought I stood a chance with Dee now that Ryo is gone, even though I know I should give up on him. I just want him to look at me the way he looks at Ryo; I would be happy if it were to happen only once! And then you showed up at the precinct looking hot as hell and I felt bad that I was thinking about you like that… and I'm not insulting your sexuality or anything, I swore never to get involved with straight men again-"

The beeping sound of JJ's pager filled the room and he started. Looking down at the display, he slumped his shoulders.

"This time of night…"

"Called out?" Drake stood up and took the empty coffee cup from JJ's hand, feathering his touch over the other man's hand.

"They need a sharpshooter. Guess that's me." JJ smiled an unhappy smile.

"Hey JJ?" JJ paused his movement of collecting his belongings to look at Drake. "Feel free to come back here when you're done. You're on third shift tomorrow, right?"

JJ shook his head. "I traded with Ted, sorry. Can I come over on Monday though? It's my day off." Their eyes met for a moment, and JJ's eyes widened in surprise.

Was Drake… lonely?

---

Sitting on the roof of a building at three a.m. found Ryo scribbling Dee's name in a multitude of swirls and pitches. He found himself constantly thinking of his lover, missing the bittersweet stench of cigarette smoke and sweat.

He sighed.

Tomorrow he would head over to Ria's place to meet Tim. He looked at the piece of paper in his hand and wondered what it would look like in black ink on his back, centered between his shoulder blades.

Small, of course.

For a moment he wondered if he should forego the deal all together, but thinking about the state he had left Mary in, he was afraid of she might say. He leaned his head back against the cold brick wall. He still hadn't figured out a way to get word to Rose of his predicament, and he was craving sex like crazy.

It had been how long since that night?

Ryo shook his head as he berated himself. Control.

The fantasy, however, was more stubborn than he and he lost himself to it.

---

JJ never made it to Drake's house on Monday. As per usual, Dee was in the way.

Drake glared at his detective certification in his room. He had been the first to make it as a detective out of the three of them: Dee, Ted and him. Dee had been an ass about it, saying it had been his idea first.

The other two only passed the next year.

He glared at the photo tucked away in the corner of the frame with Dee's head stuck over the rim. As much as he was Drake's friend, he was an annoying cad.

Another annoyance popped into his head, and he closed his eyes and groaned. Berkeley still made his blood boil. With all the time on his hands, he had devised a plan of action as to how he was going to go about handling the commissioner. He wasn't planning on being a docile victim, not at all.

A smile crept onto his face.

Even JJ would be hard pressed to ignore him then.

---

-AN- I had to end it there! Prepare for some major excitement next chapter people!

Oh, and sorry for taking so long to update. I've struck some major luck in life, and I was busy earning a little bit of cash to spend on my computer. I'm going to buy RAM and a new CPU! I can't wait!

Anyway, I was personally requested to help out an editing firm for two weeks. I've been animating like crazy! It was so awesome! I'm behind on college work now, but I'll work hard next week to catch up. Even the book I ordered arrived at the store, so I'm picking it up tomorrow.

I think I should have the next chapter out by the 31st, or before that. Look out for it!

-Me-


	12. Chapter 12

- Disclaimer - I do not own FAKE, or any of its characters - they belong to Sanami Matoh. I would not object to them being donated to me though. I also do not have a beta - these chaps are all me. You see a mistake, you NOTIFY me! Please!

Another glass was deposited onto the counter, and Ryo picked it up with a sigh. Things had been disappointedly deflated the last few days since Ria never showed up for the destined meeting.

Oh, and Mary was being haughtily distant towards him. Even James had fled the strange tension in the air, holing up with three consecutive women in the back room. The undercover detective had no idea how he managed that.

The problem with his situation was unresolved as well, but he had gotten over the initial panic and was thinking clearer now. He had considered the internet, but it was possible that his entire division was under observation. Not physically, but he was sure that the information networks were being watched.

He wasn't sure what he was risking. The need to know more about what he was facing surfaced in his mind, and he recognized the onset of fact monopolizing. How far could he go before it was too late? Would he know?

He clenched the glass a little too tightly, and felt the sting of the crack before seeing it. Surprised, he glanced around to see who had witnessed his folly before silently tucking it below the counter, out of sight.

Even if it was the end, it was definitely one of _those_ days.

---

Under the cover of darkness a single cigarette drew the eye to the figure sitting on the bed. When the lit stick was firmly clamped between her lips, she swung her hair back and felt around for her discarded piece of clothing. Finding it, she haphazardly clipped her bra back in place before slipping out of the room in search of her phone.

After leaving a short to-the-point message, she slumped onto the lavish purple couch and draped her legs over the opposite end.

She was so tired of doing this. Once again she had to thank her lucky stars that the slightly overweight man had passed out before she had to sleep with him. Truth was, since she had met that shy bartender – what was his name? Alex? – her thoughts had been stuck on him. She wanted out of this business more than ever.

Of course, her brother was a little against the idea.

Okay, a lot.

So she made other plans. Generally she was the first to shy away from introducing anyone into the scheme they were running, but something about Alex made her want him as her partner in crime.

A knock on the door jerked her head around, and she hurried over to it.

"Blood type O, non-smoker?" Ria nodded in assent and stepped out of the way as the three men she knew only by face stepped into the apartment to do what they did best. She offered a cigarette to the fourth man when he leaned against the doorway.

"I worked hard to get this one. Who's the lucky bastard?" Two liquid green eyes turned her way, but it was the sneer that curled around his mouth that grossed her out.

"You're going to laugh. Chief of police of somewhere. He's been in the hospital for nearly a month now waiting for a donor." The malice infused with his voice sent a shiver down her spine. "Guess he'll have to thank you for that. Doesn't it feel _nice_ helping the police out every once in a while?"

---

Steam billowed out into the frigid morning air as a well-built man, still covered in droplets from the shower, reached for his wailing cellphone.

"Parker."

"Drake? Hey man. You're going in in about an hour right?"

""Yes…" the voice dawdling on the other side made Drake narrow his eyes in suspicion. "May I ask why?" There was a short silence.

"Well, I seem to have a slight transportation problem…" The sentence hung in the air. The blond detective rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"I get your drift. I'm leaving in fifteen minutes, I'll be there in twenty." A sudden spring of motion could be heard on the other end of the phone.

"Twenty? What? Why? Hell, I was counting on at least forty-five minutes!"

Drake barked a humorless laugh over his cellphone. "Don't make me wait Ted. Twenty minutes." He pulled the device away from his ear as the dulled complaints continued to stream through the silence of his apartment. Pushing the end button, he scrolled through his messages before dropping it on the bed.

Nothing from JJ.

---

Twenty minutes later Drake pulled his five-year-old car up in front of Ted's building. As expected, there was no sign of the redhead, and he contemplated hooting the neighborhood awake.

Deciding against it, he slowly climbed out and glared at the intercom system. He was about to press the buzzer for 403 when the front doors smashed open and Ted, still pulling on his shirt, made his way down the stairs. He stopped short when he spied the lean detective by the wall.

"I'm not late, you're early!" Drake grinned and waved him over as he made his own way back to the car.

"Just get in."

"Hurry up!" Ted floundered his way into his jacket and rubbed his arms to chase the chill away. Drake leaned over the car seat to unlock the passenger door.

"Patience is a virtue, you know. This central locking system has only one available arm."

Ted hurried inside and shut the door with flourish. "Very funny, Parker. How was the vacation?"

Smokey gray eyes drooped as he turned the key in the ignition. "You can hardly call it a vacation. All I did was stay up late to watch the late night movie marathon. Not much to it anyway, I was bored to tears." Ted burrowed deeper into his clothes as they turned into the morning traffic. Drake reached over to switch the radio on, and the younger detective voiced his complaints at the choice of music.

Still bickering over music and sport scores they arrived at the precinct. Drake was smiling wildly, the sudden excitement of the argument making him feel alive. He was outfitted to kill again today, but his appearance had a double purpose – a purpose that was about to be realized as Berkeley Rose met them halfway up the stairs.

Ted stared in surprise as the two men seemed to face each other off. The commissioner didn't even spare him a glance.

"Good to see you back in such high spirits, Drake." The mentioned party narrowed his eyes, but the smile never left his lips.

"Good morning to you too, Berkeley. You'll have to forgive me my attitude last week; certain events had left me with a rather bad _taste_ in my mouth." With that said, he strode past the stunned blond and pushed the doors open. A stuttering Ted made his way after Drake, the frown already present on the redhead's face intensifying upon the sight of the victorious grin.

"What the hell was that? What the fuck did you just do?" The greeting from Marcus went ignored as the two headed towards the CI unit.

"_Berkeley _seems to think that we are on a first name basis. I don't want to insult him now, do I?"

As soon as they were in the office, Ted stormed in front of Drake and ground his finger into the latter's chest. The three other detectives in the room looked up at the commotion.

"I'm going to find out what's up with you. This thing you've got going with Rose now proves it. You might look all snazzy and high, but your taste in music still sucks."

"Thing with Rose? Wow, this sounds interesting!" Dee licked the sugar from his fingers as he stuffed the last bit of pastry in his mouth. Drake's eyes, however, traveled to JJ first to observe the silent horror on his face.

Bingo.

"You have no idea. You should have seen him outside." Ted snagged the last pastry off the plate in front of the black haired detective. He barely dodged a swipe to his hand, but sacrificed some of the sugar to the floor in the process.

"Right. Now if you'll excuse me, I need my morning coffee." Drake dumped what he had in his hands on his desk and walked to the door. He was barely outside before Marty posed a question to JJ.

"Why are you so quiet JJ? Are you and Drake fighting or something?"

"It would explain his behaviour last week," Dee chipped in.

JJ blinked, caught off guard. While he was worrying about not making it obvious that he found his partner hot as hell, he had in fact been avoiding fore mentioned detective.

Perhaps he shouldn't have volunteered to work last Monday with Dee. Drake had practically asked him to come over.

And he still hadn't figured out what Drake had meant with his comment in the kitchen. Could it have something to do with him?

"We're not fighting. I haven't really talked to him since…" JJ trailed off.

"I feel a 'but' coming." JJ glared through his bangs at Ted.

The problem was, he wasn't sure anymore.

---

"Ah Drake." The blond groaned softly in his throat. "Just the man I wanted to see. Excellent performance this morning, I should add. Did you practice over the weekend?" Drake plastered a slippery smile on his face and turned to face the commissioner.

"You're not worth the trouble, Berkeley. Since you seem to enjoy your game so much, I thought I might as well play one of my own." He stared at Rose through half-lidded eyes over his polystyrene cup of caffeine.

Berkeley let his own eyelids drop as his smile became almost feral. "I don't plan on loosing."

Drake tipped his head to the side and leaned closer as he spoke, "Of course you won't. You're the only one playing your game." Two cold blue eyes followed him as he brushed past. "I never said I was going to join you."

---

-AN- Happy Halloween! May your pumpkins bite back!

Was my last chapter really that bad? I only got one review… Well, I got two on It evens out, I suppose?


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